OnePlus Nord Buds 2 review: Reliable budget earbuds
OnePlus Nord Buds 2 is a cheaper alternative to the premium OnePlus Buds Pro 2. It supports ANC and promises to offer good audio delivery and long battery life.
I spent close to two weeks with the Nord Buds 2 and here're my thoughts on the OnePluds earphones.
Design and build quality
OnePlus has done a good job in terms of bringing uniformity in both the case and earbuds with the Nord Buds 2. The case sports a big oval pill design with a flat base and top. It is kind of tad thick compared to others and I don't mind as it has a bigger battery capacity. I always favor functionality over design, particularly in the aspect, as the case will always be hidden in the pocket. It's not a phone to flaunt to the public.
Even the earbuds feature a pill-shaped stem and a kind of short for me. This is subjective, as others might just be fine with it.
I took some time to get a hang of the touch gesture to control the tracks and by the fourth day of usage, the muscle memory of the fingers kicks in and make the process easy to answer calls.
The case features a reset button and right beside it, there is a Type-C port for charging.
The case and the earbuds are made of good-quality polycarbonate material. Each buds weigh just 3.7gm and the case weighs 36g.
The buds are really light and almost weightless on the ears and thanks to silicone-based ear tips, they just fit comfortably and hang on to the ears firmly. I have to note that compared to other earbuds, I had less anxiety about losing them in the rush hour while getting on the bus. They are really good in this aspect.
The earbuds come pre-fitted with medium size ear tips and the company offers two other pair of silicone tips in small and large sizes.
User interface and performance
As noted earlier, it took me some time to get used to controlling them, as the stem is, at least for me, are short than conventional earbuds. But, they just work fine.
Also, it is very easy to pair with iPhone or an Android. I initially just started with connecting manually through Bluetooth listing. For customisation, users can install Hey Melody and users can custom assign functionality to tap gestures on the earbuds.
With a single tap, users can pause and play music while listening to the music playlist. With a double tap, users can answer and hang up the calls.
And, with the triple taps, users can skip to the next trap or back to the previous track. With the Hey Melody app, users can individually assign functions to the right and left earbuds.
Also, the app has Soundmaster equaliser with preset options-- Serenade, Balanced, Bold, Bass, and BassWave. There is also a custom option, where the user can customise the audio to match their taste.
Each earbud features a 12.4mm dynamic driver with Titanized vibrating diaphragm and two microphones. Also, they are optimised with the BassWave algorithm to boost the bass delivery.
Given the fact that Nord Buds 2 costs Rs 2,999, I had low expectations. But, it punches way above its weight. I had a really good time listening to classical Carnatic blues and rock.
It supports ANC (Active Noise Cancellation) and can control outside noise up to 25Db. That is good enough indoors in a buzzing office environment. And, when outdoors, it does well to an extent in blocking annoying traffic on the city roads. But, I'd like to add that the silicone tip too plays a crucial role in blocking the noise of the outdoors.
It should be noted that the Nord Buds 2 boasts an Advanced Clear Call feature. It works in combination with the dual mic system that amplifies human voice while on an audio or video call. And, the outside noises are blurred and voice calls are filtered so they are delivered more clearly through the earbuds. As advertised, it works well to an extent.
With phone calls, the microphones pick up the voice pretty well indoors and outdoors while walking, it is decent. However, while moving in a bus during rush hour, you have to talk a bit louder to ensure the person on the other side of the call can hear the words clearly.
With Bluetooth 5.3 support, the Nords Buds 2 maintains a stable wireless connection with the companion phone. You can easily keep the phone in one place in a room and walk around the entire house listening to music or even attend phone calls without any issues.
With a full charge, Nord Buds 2 promises to deliver seven hours with ANC off, and with the case, it can go 36 hours. With the ANC on, it can last for five hours, and with the case, it can run for 25 hours.
As advertised, Nord Buds 2 truly lives up to the hype. The earbuds were to deliver close to two weeks of listening time. They were my music-hearing companion during my long commute between my home and office.
It supports fast charging and with 10 minutes of charging, the earbuds can deliver up to five hours. It will take close to one hour to fully charge just the earbuds. And, around 90 minutes to fully charge the case and earbuds.
Final thoughts
The budget Nord Buds 2 series is a fine pair of earbuds. I was pleasantly surprised with its capability to deliver a good audio experience and most importantly, the silicone tips do an amazing job sealing the ear to block the outside noise.
The audio quality while playing the music is really good. During phone calls, it is decent, on par with most of the low-budget earbuds in the market. You have to speak a bit louder while outdoors particularly on a busy road, but indoors, it works just fine and the person on the other side of the call can hear perfectly. And, with respect to the battery life, it excels here too.
Overall, the Nords Buds 2 is well-packaged budget earbuds worth the asking price.
OnePlus Nord Buds 2 costs Rs 2,999 in OnePlus Store and other authorized retail stores in India.
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